Mary and I were driving back from Port Aransas, earlier today, when I realized that it’s good to drive my truck regularly. Not just because the Truck needs to be exercised. like any vehicle, but since the car (2023 Kia Niro) has adaptive cruise control and other automating features, it’s easy to get complacent with the features, and not know how to drive…
The Extremes are What Got Me Here…01/14/2023
It’s been an interesting ride, this life of mine. I’ve been obsessed with the weather since about the 2nd grade. I may have thought about other possible paths along the way, but weather has been my main thing. So much so, that I became a meteorologist.
However, I think back on what drove me here. What events that occurred that, kind of, determined my destiny, or purpose? I can think of a few events that started me down this path:
A straight line wind event in 1972 that damaged a path from Saugatuck to west of Fennville. My first introduction to weather, and the extremes.
The Blizzard of January, 1978, large drifts. If I remember we were out of school for a week, until the roads were cleared.
The blizzard of January, 1979. While it was know more for Chicago, it was another big one that put us out of school for a few days , at least.
The El Niño of 1982-83. We got to 62°F on Christmas Day.
While these events got me going, I have run into others, since I became a meteorologist:
I remember chasing a thunderstorm that produced a funnel, near Otsego, MI
The March, 1993 “Superstorm”. I was in State College, PA, working for Accu-Weather at the time. Everything about it reminded me of the blizzards in the late 70s. Large drifts, closed roads. I skied into work that time, since they wanted us off the roads.
Tropical Storm/Hurricane Isaias, July/August, 2020. It was a hurricane, but passed by us as a tropical storm, while we were at Cape Canaveral.
Then as I get ready to enter the last few years of my NWS career, I got two more to add to my list. They both were within roughly 8 months of each other.
The Gaylord EF-3 tornado. Mary and I were living on the east end of town, and the tornado past within 1/2 mile north of the houses. It damaged a good portion of town.
The blizzard of Christmas, 2023. I prepared to have to stay at the office. Mary and the dog (Niner) stayed with our daughter in case the power went out. Roads closed.
As I write this, I’ve had very enjoyable year with the weather. I’m starting to wonder if it’s about time for me to move onto a new phase in my life…
Coffee and a Weather Map with Jeff 05/16/2022
I muted myself during the first half of the live stream. Blah. This is the edited version with audio.
Coffee and a Weather Map with Jeff 04/22/2022
The weekend warm up and a weather map, all over a cup of coffee…
Coffee and a Weather Map with Jeff 04/14/2022
Windy today with snow mixing in the next few days. Cool stretch into next week…
Coffee and a Weather Map with Jeff 04/08/2022
I have a Friday off! So Let’s talk about the weather!
Coffee and a Weather Map with Jeff 04/01/2022
I forgot to post this the other day.
Coffee and a Weather Map with Jeff 03/28/2022
I talk about the upcoming freezing rain event, and then analyze a map…
